12 Finalists For Richmond&#039;s Food Blogger Contest

DH Vancouver StaffApr 23, 2012 11:31 am

After sorting through more than 1,500 applications, the international shortlist includes candidates from London, New York and Toronto. Today Tourism Richmond has posted the names of 12 exceptional individuals still on their way to snagging a paid, year-long food blogging role as part of the award-winning organization’s 365 Days of Dining campaign. We’re proud to announce that our very own Romina M0radi (aka Small Girl, Big Plate) and good friend Follow Me Foodie made the shortlist!

The shortlisting process took nearly three weeks and was a daunting task undertaken by a Tourism Richmond panel. The 12 finalists were ultimately selected based upon how well they met the overall job description criteria – from quality of writing and photography to online community engagement and creativity, every aspect of the candidates’ blogs were carefully considered. The panel was especially struck by the candidates whose personalities shone throughout their site.

“The response we’ve had from the 12 finalists so far has been incredibly positive and enthusiastic. Some of them were even left speechless when we called to inform them that they were on the shortlist…something they said doesn’t happen very often!” says Tracy Lakeman, CEO of Tourism Richmond. “This campaign and the Richmond Foodie Blogger job have resonated across a wide and varied audience, garnering international attention for our destination. We are eager to select our blogger and have them reveal to the world the amazing culture and cuisine that Richmond has to offer.”

The 12 contenders will then be whittled down to three finalists, who will all undergo a second interview before the official Richmond Foodie Blogger is declared by the end of May.

THEY NEED YOUR HELP – PLEASE VOTE:

To assist with the next phase of the selection process, Tourism Richmond is now asking the public to help round out the top three – as of April 24, the online community will have the chance to support their favourite blogger with a public vote. The lucky candidate who receives the most public votes will automatically earn a free pass into the top three. Voting for this wildcard contender begins Tuesday, April 24 at 9 a.m. PST and closes Tuesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. PST through Tourism Richmond’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RichmondBC.

The voting page will include each of the 12 finalists’ photos, a short write-up and a link to their respective blogs. Tourism Richmond will select the other two finalists and reserves the right to ultimately select the successful candidate.